Tony Curtis, Rest In Peace

I’m not big on celebrity deaths, because usually when a celebrity dies it’s everywhere–everyone knows about it and there’s no need to comment, but considering that this time it’s one of my all time favorite actors, there definitely is need.

Last night, Tony Curtis passed away at the age of 85 of a heart attack. Curtis was one of the best, truly a terrific actor, and this news made me so sad.

I did a post on my favorites of his a while back, and you can see it here.

I’m truly devastated by this loss. Tony Curtis, you will be missed.

Moviefest

SORRY.

Just wanted to get it out there because I know that I have become a deadbeat blogger and it’s not that I want to, but with three AP classes and over 10 colleges to apply to, it’s becoming a little ridiculous.

This weekend I went to see two movies, and so, while I don’t have time for full on reviews I’ll give you the quick lowdown.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps: I love Michael Douglas. I love Carey Mulligan. I have affectionate feelings for Shia LeBouf (although I tend to still think of him as that kid from Disney channel on Even Steven…). And yet this movie was terrible. Although the preview was excellent, intense and fun, this movie lost momentum after the first few lines of dialogue. Long anyway, which is hard to pull off, this movie dragged on for forever. Definitely not a must see.

Easy A: Fantastic. I love Emma Stone. I love literary references. And I love teenage romantic comedies. Absolutely perfect. Funny and smart, this movie hit head-on. THIS is a must-see.

By the way, if you’re thinking, wow a teenager liked a teenage rom-com more than a drama about Wall Street, and thinking that my opinion isn’t valid because of this and that I simply like young movies, let me direct you, my friends, to the rotten tomatoes website, where Wall Street has received a 56% and Easy A an 85%. Yeah, that’s right. Not that  need evidence to back up my opinion, but… it’s always nice.You may also want to direct yourselves over to pretty much any form of media that reviews films. Go read a bit.

Anyway, I’m hoping that I can get to actually reviewing movies again some time because I miss spewing my opinions at you guys and you not caring at all. Oh wait, I don’t really miss that last part…

Anyway, Boardwalk Empire is on tonight, as well as Mad Men. Let me give you a quick low-down on those as well.

Boardwalk Empire: I love Steve Buscemi.  I love the 20s. I LOVE Martin Scorsese. And yet, I didn’t really love this show’s pilot. The whole thing is a little too scripted, a little too over the top, and a little too… well… fake. I like the idea, and Buscemi isn’t bad, but they’re all just, acting. It’s a little stiff. I’ll watch tonight and hope it improves and give you guys the feedback on the second one. I’m rooting for it, I really am, so don’t think I’m prejudiced in the negative, because I’m not, I promise.

Mad Men: There is nothing t say. Excellent. Fabulous. The most amazing show onTV. Jon Hamm. 1960s.  Is there really anything else to say? If you don’t like Mad Men, you’re not welcome at my blog so, go skedaddle. If you do like Mad Men, then I invite you keep on reading. And if you haven’t watched it, GO. NOW.

Well off to watch TV and “do homework”. Haha, isn’t that always a joke?

Film Festivals and other things…

As I have yet to figure out how the hell I get my blogroll to work (every time I try it just comes up with my blog, wordpress.com and wordpress.org which you can imagine is not what I want), I would like to share with all my fellow Bostonians a website entitled The Loaded Gun (loadedgunboston.com). It talks about all of the movies being filmed around Boston, and if there are any, where they’re filming, who’s in them, etc. It’s pretty cool, and once I headed down to Chinatown on it’s suggestion and saw Matt Damon and Martin Scorsese filming The Departed, so not bad.

Another thing to throw out there is the Boston Film Festival! My uncle was in it last year which is why I went (he has a fabulous movie out called The Definition of Insanity, that I highly recommend) and this year the festival is back. If you click here!!! you can see dates, what movies are when, and how to buy tickets. A lot of them actually look pretty interesting, and one of them entitled It’s Kind of a Funny Story I’ve seen some ads for, and looks pretty good. I unfortunately won’t be able to go that weekend since I’m flying out to Northwestern (=() but make sure that you go see something good for me!!

New York, I Love You

No, no, I’m not declaring my love for the city on my blog. Though I do like the city a lot, it’s actually the name of this little, unknown film that I watched last night on a whim.

In a sort of Love Actually style, although much less intertwined, the movie is a series of small vignettes about people in the city. Each one is written by a different person, and each directed by another (one is directed by Natalie Portman, actually). It stars a billion people including (but not limited to) Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Rachel Bilson, Hayden Christianson, Orlando Bloom, Shia LeBouf, Eli Wallach, and about one hundred others.

Each vignette is interesting, and there are a lot of them, so you don’t get bored with any of them, but that’s almost the problem. They aren’t long enough to really connect with, so just as you start finding them interesting they disappear and you’re left with something new. You aren’t given the opportunity to connect with any of the characters, and many of the vignettes begin and stay confusing when the back stories aren’t explained at all. Some are funny, some are happy, and some are sad. Originally based on a film called Paris, J’Taime, which I have no seem, I would love to see the original how it compares. The scenery is nice, but kind of limited, and the soundtrack a little bland.

Not a bad idea, and many of the vignettes had a nice premise, but overall, the movie didn’t flow as well as intended. I only really loved two of the segments, and others were nice or interesting, but not anything special.

In addition, I could not for the life of me figure out why these people would love New York, they’re simply living in it. The more appropriate title of the film shouldn’t been a lot of random stories that happen to take place in New York, which is a city that some of them may like.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Overall: A movie that should’ve been good, and presented itself as better than it was, it failed in it’s ability to connect the audience with the characters, and many of the segments are a little strange.

“How much do you need?” “How much have you got?”

Those intense eyes, strong chin, dark hair, tall figure, inquisitive eyebrows. It must be… Gregory Peck! I just finished watching Roman Holiday (for probably the millionth time) and I can’t say there has ever been such a great leading man as Gregory Peck. Though, there are a few I might consider, he is possibly number one.

There is no way to review a film that takes place in Rome, stars Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, and is a romance. It just can’t be done. Because the only thing to say is that it’s brilliant, sad and fabulous. I think that’s all I will say.

Now there are multiple ways this post could go. Either I could talk about Gregory Peck and other leading men I love including Jimmy Stewart, Tony Curtis, and how I’m not in love with Cary Grant, or I could talk about Audrey Hepburn, her eternal appeal, beauty and childlike wonder, then go on to say how Breakfast at Tiffany’s makes me sob, or I could talk about the romance in Roman Holiday, how it also has eternal appeal for it’s overall themes, and the way it makes my heart ache, not only because of the love that can not be complete, but because of the city itself and my love for travel and Italy. But, I think I will leave it there, because I think that there is good enough.

Eat, Pray, Love, (Think).

Today I went with a good friend to see Eat, Pray, Love. No, I have not read the book so don’t go all wacky on me. Although the movie was a little too long, the ending a little too abrupt and there was a lot of other moments that were unnecessary I have come to realize that is not the point of this movie.

There is a word in German, one that means an inability to settle and a need to travel, one that very much defines my personality. This film reminded me of that.

Just a little side note. Anyway, the movie is about love and finding yourself. It’s about the ability to balance loving others and yourself. Do we need to love others to love ourselves? Do we need to find love for ourselves in other people? Veering away from the film, I suppose that it evokes different things in everyone. In myself, I couldn’t help asking questions like will I even ever find love? Will someone ever love me and will I have the ability to love them back, knowing that I don’t love myself? It’s an interesting question. The movie, although some may say had a “lack of plot line” was actually plot line enough, I believe. The scenery is beautiful and the parts in Rome made me so sick for traveling that my heart began to ache, not in a sad, heartbreak sort of way, but an admiration of beauty and difference, and love kind of way. Although it’s true there isn’t much action, it’s a process of discovery and it evokes this process in everyone.

What is my word? I have yet to figure that out, but I hope that one day I can say with assurance that one word is mine. Of course lufthansa may stay mine for some time, but who knows what it will be in the future?

School started on Wednesday and I’m already feeling lost. Finding balance really is the key to it all. Of course, taking many APs and doing as many extracurriculars as there are hours in the day doesn’t help this balance. I think the point of the movie is to look at ourselves. Who am I, and why am I here? What do I want to do? How will I be happy?

I wrote in a post before about happiness and how fleeting it is, but I think that’s only because I haven’t found it yet. I hope that everyone can find at least a little happiness in their life, and with a life filled so far with so much sadness, I hope that my life ahead is filled with happiness as well. And I don’t think that’s conceited. I think we should all wish ourselves happiness. I wish you happiness.